The Child Who Waits
by TheSinofWrath
Summary: A month after Gene's burial, Naru comes back. Everything was normal then. They took many cases and solved some with ease. Now the SPR team has been together for three years! They have a new case when a boy who knows Naru barges in one day. Children's laughter, creepy dolls, and love? Watch as Naru and Mai's relationship bloom on this mysterious case! (Rated T just in case)
1. Chapter 1

Mai sprinted down the streets, shielding herself from the rain with her bag. She forgot to bring her umbrella. The worst part is, the rain didn't seem to have signs of stopping. The office was just a 15 minute walk, but today, it felt like an hour walk.

The brunette sighed."I swear, the weather hates me today." Mai walked in, head low. "I don't even have extra clothes. . ." Mai really cursed her luck today. Her white uniform had become see-through and clung onto her for dear life.

"What if a customer walks in? Hurry up and move." a lad in black said. Mai jumped nearly a foot in the air. When did Naru exit his office?

Mai wasn't in the mood. "Sorry. . ." She heard her boss sigh.

"Idiot, you'll catch a cold." Naru scolded as he passed a towel to Mai. Mai caught it and began to dry herself. It had been three years since she started at SPR. Everything almost felt the same. Ever since Gene's body was found, Naru stayed in England for a month. After that, Mai and Naru had kept contact with Gene.

Even if nothing has changed in their daily routine, Naru had changed in a few ways. He was more open with Mai. He seemed to have favorited her from the rest of SPR showing it in his little ways. For example, taking her to England when it was Christmas or when they needed a break. He tends to care about her more and decided things on his own for her. A day after Mai had graduated, he decided to become her teacher. He'd teach her some things about science and English, but their main subject would be about the supernatural.

"Mai, do you have spare clothes?" Naru asked. Mai jumped out of the train of thought. She shook her head and smiled sheepishly. "Thought so." Naru had told Mai to use the spare clothes he had placed in the restroom and change into it.

_Why is he doing this_, Mai thought. Is it 'be kind to Mai' year in Naru's calendar? To Mai, it was like a dream that Naru showed kindness to her, but now that dream has become true.

Meanwhile in Naru's office. . .

Naru was having his usual conversation with Gene whenever Naru needed help with his life. Example, his love life.

_Let me get this straight, you walked to the mall, bought her extra clothes, and walked out?_ The twins usually communicate with the mirror Mai gave to Naru on his 19th birthday

_I see nothing wrong in that._ Naru answered in his usual tone. If you listen closely, you can hear Gene snickering.

_The wrong in that is you know Mai's sizes!_ Gene exclaimed.

_It's not like I bought her underwear or anything._ Naru venomously stated. Naru had just bought Mai a shirt and skirt.

_Anyway, what do you need help on now?_ Gene knew something was bothering his twin.

A knock on the door disturbed the twin's conversation. "Excuse me Naru, can I come in?" It was Mai. Naru glanced at Gene and told him to mirror him.

_Noll just tell her to get in._ Gene bluntly stated. Sometimes, Gene wonders why Naru treats her coldly and nicely. Pretty confusing. . .

"Come in." Naru said. He quickly grabbed a book and started reading it at a random page. Mai opened the door, a cup of tea in hand. To be honest, Naru was stunned by her appearance, but in his head. She wore a 3/4 black sleeved shirt with a white body, and a midnight blue frilly skirt.

"Thanks for giving me extra clothes." Mai place the cup on Naru's table and smiled.

_Point 1 for my 'lovable' little bro!_ Gene shouted. Mai looked at the mirror. _Oh gosh have I been found out?_

Naru needed to keep Gene's presence unknown to Mai right now. "What is it Mai? I don't pay you to stand around all day." Naru was satisfied when he saw Mai fume with rage, then change back to her usual self.

Mai took a deep breath and smiled. "I thought you didn't use the mirror I gave you." Mai had always thought that Naru never used it because she hasn't seen him use it yet.

"Of course I do. I need to see my face more often." Naru teased. Mai walked away, red with anger.

With Mai. . .

_Geez that narcissist's ego is so bottomless_, Mai thought. _Well, I guess I have to get to work_. Mai sighed and started filing.

She finished it in no time. What time was it? Mai checked her watch and sighed. It was only 8:00 and there were no signs of clients coming in.

Lin exited his office and headed straight toward the kitchen. _Maybe he's thirsty_, Mai thought. Seconds passed by and Mai slowly started to drift into dreamland.

* * *

"Mai, wake up." Naru shook the sleeping girl's shoulder. Mai just groaned and shook her head. Naru sighed. This was a lot harder than he thought. "Mai, if you don't wake up, I'll give you a mountain load of assignments." Mai's eyes shot open. She stood up and wiped the drool from her face.

Mai was turned into a cute color of red. "Ah, Naru hi. . . Is it time for class?" Naru pointed at the schedule he had given her previously and then to the clock. Today's class time is at 10:00. . . which was only one minute away. Naru placed a science answer sheet in front of Mai along with a small book.

"Write the answers in the answer sheet. Answer Pre-Test III in 15 minutes. If you have any questions, ask me." Naru then proceeded to take a seat in front of Mai and took out a book and his mirror. _Stupd Narcissist_, Mai thought.

10 minutes had passed and right now, Mai was in pinch. She had only five minutes to answer the last 5 remaining questions, and they were hard as hell. To make it worse, they were all in English.

"Naru, what's this sentence?" Mai asked. Naru looked at the word Mai pointed at. Naru wasn't surprised that Mai solved all the complicated problems without question, he was surprised that Mai couldn't understand just one question. Naru simply wrote it in Japanese after he said it in English and Japanese, then proceeded to explain it.

"Seems like your doin' well Noll! Look you even have a girlfriend!"a voice greeted in in perfect English. Mai and Naru looked at the owner of the voice.

"What are you doing here, Krimson?" Naru hissed. It was a boy. He had blue hair that reached his neck. His right eye was a really light gray that makes it look blind, while his left eye was a honey color. He wore a striped black-and-white sweater with a wide-mouthed skull in the middle. His jeans were ripped and slipped a little to reveal his boxers. Those two belts must have been for design if they couldn't hold that up! Chains hugged his side, hanging off the belt in all their silver glory. A piece of ripped cloth was tied loosely to his belt at the back. (**A/N: CHECK OUT THE LINK IN THE END ;)**)

Mai looked at the two, clueless of what they were saying. Sure she understood English if it were at an easy pace, but not when they're speaking fast.

Krimson noticed how confused Mai was. "Hm, can't understand us?" Mai nodded at his questioned. Krimson smiled. "Well, Japanese will do." Mai was surprised on how he had no accent at all.

"I'll ask again, Krimson what are you doing here?" Naru was pissed. Having someone from his past come here wasn't all that great.

"Calm the hell down. I come with a client genius." Krimson answered in a sing-song voice. "Auntie sent me here to bring her friend so you'd investigate. If you say no. . . A monster will haunt you."

Mai was so lost. She felt so left out.

"Mai call Lin. Krimson, go to the kitchen." Naru commanded. The two did as said. Mai went to Lin's office and knocked three times before opening the door.

Mai poked her head into the Chinese man's office. "Excuse me Lin, there's a client." Lin nodded and gestured that he was coming. Mai made a bee-line to the kitchen and bumped into Krimson. "Sorry."

"No, I'm sorry." Krimson apologized. "Hm, let's play a game."

Mai placed the kettle on the stove. "What kind of game?"

"A guessing game." Krimson cheered. "You have to guess what gender am I!" Mai smiled.

"You're a male. Isn't that it?" Mai guessed. She heard him snicker.

Krimson stuck his tongue out. "You'll find out later."

Their conversation was interrupted when the kettle started to whistle. Mai readied the tea and brought it outside with the help of Krimson. After handing it out, she grabbed her notepad and pen. _Might as well take down some things they might miss_, Mai thought.

Suddenly, the door swung open. A tall girl with eyes so light they looked white stood, her dark hair nearly covering her face. She wore a light blue hoodie and black skirt. Striped black-and-white stockings adorned her legs with brown boots climbing to her knees. She scanned the room, looking at each person. Then she sighed - a tired, hollow sigh.

When she spoke, her voice was laced with a faint foreign accent: "Alright, it's not like I wanted to be the one to explain, but someone was being a bitch about it. . ."

Her gaze went to Krimson, who just smiled innocently.

"Um, excuse me?" Mai spoke up. "I don't understand."

The girl walked over to Mai and stared at her with those eyes too light. ". . . I'm sorry," she said. "This must be confusing. I'm Leon Yurevich. Krimson's girlfriend."

"_You're a bitch._" Krimson smiled, but there was no humor in it. "Honey, didn't I tell you to keep that a secret~?"

". . . Oh yeah." Leon then said, "I'm sorry. Let me start over. I'm Leon Yurevich, Krimson's friend."

"THAT DOESN'T MAKE THINGS BETTER."

Naru cleared his throat. "How may we help you?"

"Ah. ды (_**Dy**)._" Leon turned to Naru. "My boyfriend - I mean, _friend. . . _Krimson, do we really have to keep it a secret?"

Krimson was covering his face. He was obviously embarrassed. "Do what you want," he hissed.

"Okay. My boyfriend and I have been staying in this inn at Ikebukuro. It's a two-story inn that used to be an orphanage, or so we heard. Everything was normal at first, but strange things have started to occur. Banging. Footsteps. Things being moved. Whispering - children's voices, to be exact. Usual things for you." Leon paused for a moment, letting that sink in. "Then things got worst after two weeks. People in the inn started to get attacked. Nursery rhymes were written on the wall in blood - trust us, we've checked. Strange, old dolls have appeared as well. We have tried burning them, but they keep appearing again and again. Then when you enter one room, it's a whole different room. But when you enter again, it's your room. Then children in old kimonos appear, begging for a game."

She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Goddamn, if I knew this shit would happen I wouldn't have come."

Krimson smirked and leaned over to the girl, whispering into her ear. It was too low to hear no matter how much the other two strained their ears.

For a moment, Leon stared at her boyfriend before grabbing his head and slamming it against the coffee table.

"I see." Naru paused. "Give your information to my assistant. We'll come tomorrow. Please request a room for our base, and don't forget the rooms where we will sleep, Krimson."

"Thanks, sweet face." With that, Leon turned and left. Naru sighed. Before going to his office, he got the answer sheet from Mai's table. Lin went to his office without another word.

"Well Mai, Here's the address and contact information." Krimson passed a card to Mai. "Now that your boss is gone, I'll tell you the answer to that little game we had."

Mai was actually curious. "And?"

"I am a-"

Naru cut Krimson off. "Mai call the rest. Tell thim that we're leaving tomorrow." Mai glared at her boss' office.

_Jerk_, she thought.

Krimson walked to the door. "Well, guess you'll know later. 再见 **(Zàijiàn).**" With that, the boy left.

_Jeez Naru, you could have told me at another time_, Mai thought.

* * *

**Wrath: Hi Hi Hi! Hope you liked my story! Umm. . . I don't like. . .**

**Nes: Huehuehue she's a sloppy-assed person and had her sister edit everything. **

**Wrath: NES! YOU FUCKING IDIOT**

**Links and other stuff:**

**Krimson's clothes: pin/510806782708209094/**

**Zaijian in English means Bye **

**AwesomeMango's link: u/4759293/AwesomeMango**

**Nes: Review, Follow, Favorite, Anythin! Bye~**


	2. Chapter 2

**Nes: I think there should be a warning in this chapter. **

**Wrath: Shut up! Hey guys! How's it goin? Heads up, who knew that I had such a dark mind when it comes to stuff.**

**Nes: Thank you for favoriting, following, and reviewing**

**AwesomeMango**

**Zanataya-**** thanks :3**

**dark shawdow400- ****Thank you :3**

** -279**

**Lee Anna Kindred**

**Nad147**

**Naruisawesome- ****XD ****  
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**jedishadow29**

**Wrath and Nes: R&amp;R  
**

**Disclaimer: I, unfortunately, do not own Ghost Hunt.  
Link to EDITOR: u/4759293/AwesomeMango**

* * *

Sunday, June 26 20XX  
Time 6:00

Mai smiled as she stared at the book Naru bought for her. Well, he had only bought the book yesterday, but she was half-way through it. Everything happened so quick after Krimson and Leon left.

~~~FLASHBACK~~~

_Mai sighed and reached for her cellphone. _Might as well do what Naru said_, Mai thought. She went the list in her contacts. First was Ayako._

Riiiiing, Riiiiiiing. . . .

_"Hello, It's Ayako." Ayako answered._

_"Um. . . Hi Ayako, it's Mai. We have a new case. Are you available?" Mai asked. She heard Ayako mumble some thing until she finally replied._

_"Yeah. I won't be able to come tomorrow though."Ayako said. "Just text me the address." With that, Ayako hung up. Mai quickly texted the address and moved onto the next one._

Riiiing, Riiiiing. . .

_"Hello, this is John Brown." John greeted._

_"Hey John, do you mind helping us on the case?" Mai asked._

_"Sure thing," John replied._

_"Okay we meet up at the office before 6:00." Mai hung up shortly._

_It took her a whole 8 minutes just to call the rest due to some not answering her first call. John, Masako, and Yasu are meeting up here tomorrow while Ayako and Monk will come the second day. Mai sighed and looked at the time. It had been an hour since Yurevich-chan and Krimson-kun had left and now. Mai was bored. She had finished cleaning, washing empty tea cups and the kettle, her assignment for the night, and calling the gang so she had nothing to do anymore. Mai wanted to take the rest off the day off, but knowing Naru, he'd refuse._

_"Mai. . ." Naru called. Mai looked at her boss. How long has he been standing there. "It's lunch break, let's go."_

_Naru and Mai always had lunch together, and went shopping if they had time. They'd usually take turns paying for lunch, but when Mai wasn't paying attention, Naru paid for it._

_Mai stood up and got her purse. It was still raining outside, so Naru had borrowed Lin's umbrella. Mai enjoyed today. Since it was raining , Mai and Naru had to stand so close together. _

_"Naru, where are we going today?" Mai asked. _

_Naru thought for a moment. "The cafe across the apartment building." With that, they took 15 minutes to get to the cafe._

_"Welcome, Ma'am, Sir." a kind woman greeted. Mai nodded in her direction as she led them to a table. She placed a small menu of sweets, drinks, and food. Then she left. _

_"What do you want Naru? It's my turn to pay today, so I don't mind you getting a lot." Mai said. _

_Naru scanned the menu for a minute or two. __"Just call the waitress when you're ready to order." Mai puffed her cheeks and checked the menu out. A minute later, she raised her hand to call the waitress. _

_The waitress got her little notepad. "What will it be?" _

_"Earl Grey Tea and a piece of Black Forest cake." Naru said. Mai was shocked. Those were like, not as expensive as he'd usually buy. When it was his turn to buy he'd order pasta or something. _

_"I'll have iced coffee and a grilled cheese sandwich." Mai ordered. The waitress smiled and walked away. _

_"Mai, did Krimson say anything weird to you?" Naru asked. He has been acting weird since Krimson came. _

_"No, just a guessing game." Mai recalled. Naru nodded and it went quiet. _

_"When we're done with lunch, you are free to do whatever you want." Naru paused, glancing at his cellphone. "Just make sure to pack." Mai nodded. _

Is he giving me the rest of the day off_, Mai thought. _I think since he came back, he's taken the 'be nice' medicine_. _

_"Excuse me Ma'am, Sir, here is your order." The waitress placed the food and drinks down and smiled. She left the receipt to Naru and disappeared to the front door. _

_Mai and Naru ate in silence. Sometimes Mai would start a small chat, but it was her talking mostly. Today, she didn't feel chatty. _

_The brunette looked at her boss to see his cake untouched. "Why aren't you eating?" Naru shook his head and gave the plate of cake a push toward Mai. "You ordered it for me?" Naru nodded. A faint blush took over Mai's face as she took her first bite. Naru smiled in the inside. _

_While Mai was munching on the cake, Naru had secretly paid for the food. It won't hurt to pay for 3 days in a row, will it? Finally, Mai had finished. _

_Mai searched for her wallet. "Let me pay first."_

_"I already did." Naru said. Mai puffed her cheeks._

_"You already paid for three days in a row, why can't I pay?" The puffy-cheeked girl complained. He didn't have to keep paying for her!_

_"Let's go?" Naru was already standing. Mai just nodded and they exited the cafe without another word. They started to walk towards the pedestrian lane until Mai got distracted once again. _

_"Ah! Naru look, its your book!" Mai looked at the displayed book. Naru stared at his published worked. Should he just give the original copy signed by him? "Naru is it alright if you go ahead, I'm gonna buy something."_

_Naru smirked. "If you really want my book, I'll give you a signed one." Mai fumed on his reply. _

_"No! I want to buy another book! I just finished that book." Mai was a cute cherry red at the end of her sentence. _Has she read all my books_, Naru thought. _

_"I can recommend good books if you want." Naru offered. _What drugs are you on_, Mai thought. _

_In the end, they bought quite a few books, but Naru paid for it all. _

~~~~ END OF FLASHBACK~~~~

"Mai!" Yasu shouted. Her three friends were standing in front of her, worried why she hadn't responded in the two minutes they were calling her.

Mai laughed nervously. This wan't the first time. "Yeah?"

"Kazuya said to rock-paper scissors with Masako to see who will ride where." John explained. Mai nodded and prepared to play against Masako.

"One point only. No lates or earlies." Yasu pointed out. Mai had to win, but Masako had no intention of losing either.

"Ready. . ."

Mai and Masako were face to face.

'_MAI PICK PAPER_' Gene shouted. She flinched a bit due to how loud he was shouting in her head.

Yasu cleared his throat. "Rock."

'_SHE WILL PICK ROCK! I SWEAR_!' Gene once again shouted. Mai started to ignore Gene.

"Paper. . ." John didn't like how the two girls looked at each other. They looked like they were ready to kill.

'_GENE! Stop_.' Mai demanded. Gene was messing with her for sure.

"Scissors."

. . .

Mai goes with Naru, Masako goes in John's car.

'_I told you so_.' Gene said. The boy was right, Masako picked rock, and Gene made Mai choose paper.

Mai sighed and went to to the van. They weren't even going, and Mai was already sleepy.

Finally, she went to La La land.

* * *

_Mai opened her eyes to see nothing except for darkness. _

_"Welcome Ms. Sunshine." Gene greeted. Mai rolled her eyes. "Oh yeah. I come in peace. We don't have much time." Mai nodded and Gene showed the scene that sent shivers down Mai's spine. _

_Children were covered in bruises, scars, wounds, and scabs. They were all playing happily, but they all had a different game. One group was playing 'Ring Around the Rosey' , the other group was playing 'London Bridge', and the last one was 'Jack and Jill'. Even if it was a friendly game, something seemed off. Their eyes were blank, and their smiles were plastic. __There was only two adults with them, but the vibe they gave the two teens the creeps. A man in a lab coat walked in. _

_"The children who have lost the game, approach." the man coldly said. His facial expression showed disgust. The children who have lost at their respective games reluctantly went to the man. The man, the three other adults, and the children left the room. _

_"Wasn't Lisa in the group?" a kid asked. His friend nodded and they hung their head. _

_"Gene what's going on?" Mai asked. Gene shook his head and changed the scene. _

_This time, it was in the same room, but it was horrifying. Children's screams echoed the room. Mai couldn't help the tears that were starting to fall. She saw children being beat to death. Blood had stained the pure white carpet, some children were not even moving- let alone breathing, and what she can't look away from the most, is what the man was doing. _

_"Where is Lisa?" the man asked. The children just remained silent, causing something to trigger something in his insanity. "WHERE IS LISA?!" _

_. . ._

_They kept quiet. The man picked up a child by the neck. _

_"If you don't tell me where she is hiding, Jin will join the others!" the man shouted. The children just kept yelling. . . colorful words. _

_"Gene, please change the scene I can't take it. . ." Mai begged. Gene just covered Mai's mouth. _

_"We can't get discovered." Gene whispered. Mai's tears just kept falling and falling as she watched the child, Jin, be beat to death and thrown like a rag. Two or three more children had joined Jin in the pile of. . . lifeless bodies. _

_"Don't hurt them anymore!" Mai's eyes roamed to the door. It was a girl. _

_"Where the fuck did you go, Lisa?" the man asked. He approached her and started to strangle her._

_This man has issues. . ._

_"Don't. . . hurt them. . ." Lisa struggled in the man's grasp. Finally, she stopped, but she was still breathing. _

_Gen stopped the scene there. "Mai, I'm sorry if I'm putting you through this. This is important, but if you can't handle it, I'll just tell Noll." Mai shook her head. _

_"I can do it." Mai wasn't sure if she can really handle it, but she knew she had to do this to gather the information and visuals. _

_Gene finally went to the last scene, or so he said. It was outside, and there was a wooden box in the middle of the field that was the size of Lin. You can see that from the house, a man exited carrying a kid. The kid had her hands tied behind her back while she was gagged. She was really fighting her way out. _

_"London Bridge is falling down." The man threw the kid down so hard, a crack was heard. The kid started crying, her screams were muffled too. _

_Mai's screams of protest were muffled by Gene. _

_"Falling down, Falling down." He put the noose loosely around the kid's neck. _

_Mai was biting Gene as hard as she could trying to break free. _

_"Mai don't, he'll notice us too." Gene whispered as Mai kept biting him. _

_"London Bridge is falling down, my fair lady." The man had fixed her hair. Then he suddenly tightened the noose so tight, the poor girl started choking already. Then, the man hung her, but she still wasn't close to dying. _

_Mai stopped biting Gene, and put her hand over her ears to block the muffled scream of the poor girl . Gene hung his head low, not wanting to see the next part of the scene. _

_"Take the key and lock her up." The man sung. He sealed the wooden box and grabbed the gas can next to him. _

No_. . ._

_"Lock her up, lock her up." He doused the box in gas. He proceeded to drop the can next to the box. _

Stop it_. . . _

_"Take the key and lock her up." The man lit a match and threw the match at the box. He laughed as he watched it burn._

MONSTER. . .

_"My fair lady." He bowed and stayed in the position. _

_"MAI!" Gene yelled as he was blasted away, then disappeared. _

_"GENE!" Mai screamed in horror. She felt no one else's presence. _

_"I found you."_


	3. Chapter 3

**Wrath: ALOHA EVERYONE~ I'm back**

**Nes: No one cares. **

**Wrath: -sulks in the corner-**

**Nes: Thanks to those who have reviewed, followed and favorited. **

**MysteriousNerdness-07 -I'm glad you liked it :)**

**Fanficluver4life - It has been done**

**larajla**

**Aqua Lily - Oh may gawsh I'd feel guilty if I gave nightmares xc**

**dark shadow400- Isn't it cute having Naru pay?**

**Naruisawesome - So if Mai or Naru wins in rock paper scissors, we know who gave them the cheat. **

**Zanataya- Thanks x3**

**RosetheWolfgirl- thanks :3**

**I don't own Ghost Hunt!**

**SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT! FIND THE HIDDEN REFERENCE AND WIN A WISH! WINNER WILL BE THE FIRST TO PM ME AND EXPLAIN WHAT IT IS! GOOD LUCK! **

* * *

"Kazuya, that was the last box." John informed. He had helped out due to them being short of hands since Monk wasn't here.

Naru nodded. "Start your car, we'll leave when Lin comes back." John nodded and went to his car. To be honest, he really didn't want to drive in the presence of Yasuhara in shot-gun due to his. . . wonderful habits.

"Yo, John! Leaving already?" Yasu asked. John just nodded and prepared his ears. He put the key in and the torture began.

Meanwhile while that was happening, Lin was in the office getting the Madoka camera. It was basically a camera that's waterproof and Naru proof. It was a mission given to him by the professor and his wife, so he couldn't refuse it. Upon returning to the van, he found Naru sitting next to Mai. _Madoka cam activate_. He took the secret picture and immediately approached his boss.

"Na. . ." He trailed off as he saw the narcissist's eyes closed. Secretly, Lin took the camera out and snapped a few pictures. Well of course, he wasn't seen by the three in the other car. After, he got in the van and started it. Shame that it was only a 20 minute ride. With that, the gang hit the road. It was quiet in the SPR van. The only time a sound came from the two was if one started to stir, or if they were sleep talking. Meanwhile in John's car, it was hell.

Masako stuck her head out the window with relief. She didn't care about the weird stares she had earned, she just needed to avoid the voice of hell's all time champion. John was well, mentally crying but kept his eyes on the road. Yasu was singing along to the radio. And the song didn't make it better.

"I CAME IN LIKE A WRECKING BALL!" Yasu screamed. Usually Yasu would be quiet if it were Mai in the car, but if it were Masako he'd get bored and sing along to the radio. _Help_, both Masako and John thought.

* * *

_"Gene, where did you take me?" Naru spat. He really was taken off guard when Gene knocked him out. _

_"Wipe that stupid scowl off your face." Gene scolded. "Anyway, I need your help. Something strong blew me out of the dream I was guiding. Now she's alone with whatever the hell it is." _

_Naru's attention was finally caught. Was he referring to Mai? "How can we get to her?" Gene pointed to a small chained door. _

_"She's behind the door." Gene said. Naru nodded and went to the door. He banged on the it and used most of his strength in punching it. Nothing worked. For the first time, Naru didn't know how to deal with this situation. _Think Noll_, Naru thought. "You have one way to open the door."_

* * *

"Hello?"

"Madoka, it's Lin." Lin greeted the pinkette. "Something's wrong."

"What is it?" Madoka asked. Usually, Lin brushed it off, but it was the first time he had consulted her.

"Mai. She's getting weird marks on her neck. Rope marks." Lin glanced at the teen just to make sure he was right.

. . .

Naru opened his eyes as he felt the van halt. He looked to his left and saw Mai sleeping on his shoulder, and his head was lightly leaning on hers. He looked forward to see the stop light at red. "Na. . . ru. . ." Mai was sleep talking. Naru's eyes softened a bit. _Don't worry Mai_, Naru thought.

'_Noll, mission accomplished. She should wake up anytime soon_.' Gene informed. As their conversation went on, the green light finally hit.

'_What exactly happened to her then_?' Naru asked. When they had found her, she was just crying. The rope marks around her neck really bothered him though. He felt the relief wash over his chest as he saw Mai's tears stop flowing.

'_Anyway baby bro, be careful in this case. The spirit is strong_.' Gene warned. '_If you dare end up losing a team member, especially Mai, I'm a whoop your sorry ass to the next world_.' Naru fought the urge to roll his eyes.

'_I'm not afraid to have John exorcise you when that time comes_.' Naru teased.

He heard Gene sigh. _'Anyway, tell Kri-Kri I said hi. Later._' With that, Gene cut the connection.

"Naru, we're here." Lin paused to check if he was awake. "I'll go park somewhere, go meet up with the rest." Naru nodded. He shook Mai a bit to try and wake her up. The brunette stirred a bit. The boss sighed as he knew that she'd be doing the anti-dizzy spell she always used, counting to thirty in a slow pace. Naru exited the van and proceeded to carry Mai in a piggy back ride.

"Where are John and Ms. Hara?" Naru asked. Lin pointed to the car in the back. They had got stuck at a stop light. Naru nodded and walked toward the inn.

"Naru, where are we?" Naru turned his head a bit to look at Mai. She still hasn't realized that she was being carried by the one and only narcissist.

"We're nearing the front door of the inn." Naru replied. Mai rubbed her eyes a bit. She felt like hell. Her throat was burning as she felt the rope marks that had been bruised onto her. It was hot. Not because it was summer, but because she felt the burning sensation in her veins. Mai soon realized what was going on. Naru was giving her a piggy back ride. She felt the heat flare into her face. She must have hit more than fifty shades of red.

"Thanks," Mai mumbled. Finally, to Mai's dismay, Naru sat her on the steps before the door.

"Kazuya! Where did Lin park?" Naru looked up to see John in his car while Masako and Yasu were walking up to them. Naru simply pointed to the path Lin's car had taken. John nodded and drove away. Mai took a deep breath. She can't let what happened affect her.

"Why don't we go inside?" The others seemed to agree with Mai, so in they went.

"Welcome to Flore's Inn!" Everyone turned their heads to a seemingly familiar voice. "Oh, it's the ghost bastards." A vein popped in Mai's forehead.

"What did I say about your potty mouth, Leon?" Krimson's head poked out of the hallway to the right. "Ah! Noll, you actually came! I thought I had to call Auntie to get you on this case!"

"Who are they?" Yasu whispered. A nervous laugh escaped Mai.

"They're the clients." Mai said, pointing at the two. Yasu nodded.

"Hm? You seem short of people." Krimson studied the group.

"Lin and John went to park the car. Monk and Ayako are coming tomorrow." Mai replied.

"Anyway, follow me. I'll guide you to your base. Room introductions later." Leon turned around and headed to the elevator. After everyone got on the elevator, Leon's glare bored holes into the retreating boy. "Hey Fatass, are you coming?" Krimson signed language his reply, so everyone except Naru and Leon were left curious of his reply.

Mai sighed. She felt really uneasy. As if the whole in. Wanted to grab her by the collar and throw her out like trash. "Masako, what do you think about this place?"

. . .

_Is she ignoring me_, Mai thought.

"Masako!" Mai waved a hand in front of her. Finally, the medium awoke from her daze. "Yasu's singing?"

Masako nodded and covered her mouth with her sleeve. "It sounds as horrible and ear breaking cat claws being dragged against a black board while drums are being banged at random." Yasu just stood there, having a fake hurt look on his face.

"I am hurt. My mum says that my voice is like an angel's!" Yasu declared. A moment of silence passed and the three burst into laughter.

"Hey, Teashit, one of the rooms have two bedrooms. Fine with you?" Leon asked, ignoring the three.

"I have no problem. How many rooms in total?" Naru questioned. Leon mentally counted. She had not bothered memorizing the room count.

"One for base. Three or two for sleeping. Your base has the two bedrooms by the way, Devil Horns, so anyone without the buddy system you requested can sleep there." Leon recalled. "Me and Fatass' place is the room next to your base. If you need anything, call that idiot." The elevator came to an abrupt stop which called the attention of the group. The doors opened and they exited. Mai stopped in her tracks as she saw the hall. She knew it was _that_ hall she went through. The sudden thought of the memory made her want to turn her back and exit the place.

"Mai." Mai was snapped out of her thoughts when Naru called for her. Mai shook her head a bit and smiled. _I can't let it bother me_, Mai thought. She approached the group and followed Leon.

"This is your base." Leon pointed to the door which had the sign 194. "You decide on your fucking rooms." "

Your potty mouth is stupider than Jupiter." The gang turned their heads to find Krimson with Lin and John behind him. "Anyway, madame told us we can take time off to help you with anything." Naru just nodded and waited as Krimson unlocked the door.

"Stupid fatass," Leon mumbled.

"We'll set up base now." Naru instructed. Mai sighed. To be honest, she was the only girl on the team that did some heavy lifting. Masako can't since she's in a kimono, while Ayako being Ayako, will refuse no matter what. 30 minutes later, they finally finished setting up base. Yasu, Mai, and John were waving the white flag. They couldn't take the heat of the outside world. It was like sitting in a microwave with no clothes on.

Leon slammed the door open. "Hey Teashit, Fatass brought halo-halo." Naru just nodded, not looking up from his file.

"What's halo-halo?" John asked. Mai, John, and Yasu stared at the cup before them while Masako just held it.

"It's a Filipino dessert I've tried while I was there. I saw some locals make it, so I decided to make it." Krimson let it sink in before continuing. "The ones I make have banana with a sweet syrupy sauce, jelly, coconut meat, and evaporated milk. The thing that makes it the best is it has shaved ice."

Leon picked up her cup. "You have to mix it all together like so, then munch away." The rest of the gang enjoyed their halo-halo, savoring the cold it gave. Krimson nudged Leon's ribs. "What do you want, Fatass?" Leon snapped. Krimson pointed at the folder in her hands. They had done some of their own work yesterday.

"Give it." Krimson simply stated.

"Hey Teashit, Fatass' interviews are in this folder." Leon passed a heavy-looking folder to Naru, not caring if the glare he sent stabbed daggers into her.

"If I may ask, why do you call them colorful words?" Yasu asked. "Especially Big Boss. Why do you call him 'Teashit'?" Krimson burst into laughter.

"What's so funny?" Mai asked. She was utterly confused with why Krimson was laughing his ass off.

Leon smiled. "Here's how it went."

~~~~Flashback~~~~

_A group of 12 year old twins, a 9 year old girl, and an 8 year old boy stood under the tree in the park. It was a snowy day before Christmas, and their parents forgot about them. . ._

_"NOLL, WHAT THE HELL DO WE DO?! MOM AND DAD FORGOT ABOUT US AND NOW WE'RE IN A PARK WE DON'T KNOW WHERE BUT WE KNOW WE'RE IN _***GOTHENBURG, SWEDEN**_." Gene shook his brother as he screamed._

_"Calm down. Go attend to Krimson. Looks like he's dying." Naru pointed out. Krimson was shivering from the cold due to leaving his coat with his mom._

_"Gene, where are you?" Krimson whispered._

_"I'm right here. What's wrong?" Gene asked._

_"Santa won't be able to deliver the presents. . . I think I can see the light now. . ." Krimson joked. Gene decided to play along._

_"No! Don't follow it!" Gene said. Leon decided to play along at that point._

_"Follow it! Follow it!" Leon repeated._

_"No, Krimson! Don't follow it!" Gene was trying his best to keep the boy together._

_"Shut the fuck up, annoying-shit." Leon said._

_Gene put a hand over his heart. "Who taught you that?! That's potty language!"_

_Leon closed in on him. "Your mommy."_

_"No! I don't Believe it!" Gene shouted as he fell to his knees. "MY MOMMY DOESN'T HAVE A POTTY MOUTH!"_

_ He sniffed the air to smell something sweet. He turned his head to find Naru drink hot tea from his_ _thermos._

_"Give." Krimson started._

_"Us." Leon continued._

_"Some!" Gene finished._

_Naru stared at the warm liquid in the container. Slowly, he reached it toward Leon._

_"I knew I can-" Leon stopped in her sentenced as Naru quickly drew the thermos away, and drank every drop of tea left. "Screw you, TEASHIT!" _

_Naru was_ _satisfied_ _with the warmth. Krimson glanced at Leon. Instead of seeing her standing, he saw her on the ground._

_"Leon!" He crouched down to Leon._

_"I see the light," Leon muttered._

_"AND AT LAST I SEE THE LIGHT!" Gene sang. Krimson glared at his cousin. "Shut up, Shit-Face." Krimson glared at the boy. . . . The three burst into laughter while Naru's lips curved slightly._

~~~~End of Flashback~~~~

"Who knew Big Boss' tea addiction started at a young age." Yasu commented. The whole room boomed with laughter. What stopped it was a book slamming close.

"This is not a get together. If you do not plan to work at all, go home." Naru said. Before continuing, he glanced at the time. "John, accompany Ms. Hara and do a walkthrough of the place. Yasu, get the history of this place. Lin set up the microphones. Krimson, I can trust you on this since Father does. Write the temperatures down. When you're done, go help Leon set-up the cameras." With that said, the whole gang did what they were told to do.

"What about me, Naru?" Mai asked. Naru made sure there was no one around before facing Mai.

"Tell me what happened when Gene was thrown out of your dream."


	4. Chapter 4

_Mai leaned against the wall for support. She had been running around the orphanage that the mad man had made. If that wasn't bad enough, she was being chased by the children._

_"Gene!" Mai shouted. Ever since Gene was thrown out the dream, Lisa had been playing her own games. Mai sighed and walked down the hall. She's on the fifth floor, so she had no where to escape now. Well, if she were up to it, she'd jump out the window or down the stairs. The girl sighed and looked around. She heard the faint footsteps around her. "Who's there?" _

_"Onee-chan. . . Where's my mummy?" Mai looked down to see a child. She didn't look like any of the children chasing after her, and she wasn't in the group either. _

_ Mai bent a bit to reach the kid's height. "Where did you last see your mom?" The kid shrugged. Tears threatened to escape the kid's eyes, but she was trying to keep it in. "How about this, we'll look for your mom, but promise me you won't cry." Mai extended her pinky finger toward the girl. _

_"I promise!" the child cheered. She extended to her pinky to complete the promise. After that, the two walked in a comfortable silence. Each room they went to, they felt eyes following them. Mai glanced at the kid from time to time to make sure she didn't walk to far back behind her. Her gut told her not to trust the kid, but she couldn't just leave her all alone, right?_

_"What does your mommy look like?" Mai asked. The kid just stayed quiet. Mai stopped and turned to the kid. "Are you okay?" _

_"I'm okay, but will you be, young woman." The kid looked at Mai with ice cold eyes. Her gut was right. She can't trust the kid. Mai started to run as fast as her legs can take her, trying to create some distance from the kid. "Onee-chan, don't you think it's rude to break a promise? That's why adults are mean. They always break their promises."_

_Before Mai could blink, children appeared before her. They were slowly closing in on her, backing Mai into the corner. _

* * *

"The next thing I knew, there was a noose on my neck." Mai felt the rope marks on her neck. "They tied the other end of the rope to the window near us. I. . . I tried my best to escape, but it was futile. Before tightening the noose around my neck, they gave me a doll. A worn out, creepy doll. After that they threw me out the window, and then you and Gene came. . ." Tears flowed down Mai's cheek. Naru had no idea on what to do now.

'_YOU IDIOT SCIENTIST!_' Gene shouted. '_Don't leave a girl crying, comfort her!_' Naru sighed and put his hand on Mai's had.

"You're okay now at least." Naru said. He seriously had no idea what to say after. He really wanted to comfort her more, but had no idea how. After a while, Mai finally calmed down. "Come out of the shadows now." Mai watched as Krimson and Leon emerged from the shadows.

"Ah, we've been found~" Krimson sang. _How long have they been there_, Mai thought. _They still should be setting up the mics and cameras_. "I've got to say, Luella and Martin will definitely love this picture Noll! I mean well if I bother to send it." Naru shot a glare toward Krimson before going to the monitors.

"Don't mind the Fatass' last sentence, it was already sent." Leon bluntly said before sitting on the couch with Krimson.

"If I may ask, how did you guys do that quickly?" Mai asked.

Krimson looked up from his phone. "Well, when Leon and I used to work with Naru and uncle, we always placed the cameras and mics where the activity happens."

Mai's curiosity spiked. "Who's your uncle?" Leon got her laptop and ignored the conversation of the two.

"Professor Martin Davis," Naru replied in Krimson's stead. "My father once brought Leon and Krimson on a case before."

"Yep. Me and Nol aren't related by blood of course. I was adopted by Luella's sister while Noll and Gene were of course adopted by Martin and Luella. We spent 5 months in the orphanage together." Krimson explained. Slowly, it sank in. "That means I can tell you more about Noll's past and give you exclusive pictures." Mai's face slowly turned pink at the thought of having a secret album of Naru.

"Save it til next time, Fatass." Leon snapped. "Last time you and Luella had a plot, I was involved in the scolding." Krimson stuck his tongue out and said some things in Russian or Belorussian.

Mai sighed and went to the kitchen part of the room. She had nothing else to do, so she decided to busy herself in making tea. She placed the kettle on the stove and sighed. The thing Krimson asked her the day before bothered her. He is a boy right? Crossdressing is a possibility, but he looks nothing like a girl. Sharp features and the voice of a normal boy, so why had he bothered to ask her?

"Mai, hurry up!" Leon demanded. She hadn't realized that the kettle was already whistling. With haste, Mai had prepared tea for everyone. She heard other voices, so she assumed Masako and John were finished. Once done, the brunette came into the next room with a full tray of tea. Mai passed it out, but made sure that Naru was the last one to receive his.

"John, do you wanna hear a funny story from long ago?" Krimson asked. John, not knowing how to reply, just nodded. "Long ago when a pair of twins lost a bet, they had walked around in the mall in pink dresses and wigs. An hour later, they were both hit on."

_I have a bad feeling about this_, Mai thought as she felt the glare being sent to them.

* * *

The circle of friends each shared funny stories for the next hour or so. After Leon's story about Krimson getting lost in France, Mai told the story of how she had gotten lost in England once. Meanwhile that was happening, two twins were sharing a small chat.

'_Noll, why don't you join them? I mean, bond with Mai_.' Gene complained. '_I swear, you really aren't making much progress_.' Naru glared at his brother through the mirror.

'_I'd rather focus on work_.' Naru said. '_Unless you're here to give me advice, scram._' Gene made a hurt face before replying.

'_Noll, I have a bad feeling_.' Gene warned. '_Just don't let your guard down_.'

'_Whatever_.' Naru cut the connection off and hid the mirror in his pocket.

Yasu slammed the door open, causing the group to nearly jump out of their seats."We're back!" Mai sighed. Her heart almost jumped out of her chest.

"What did you gather?" Naru asked. Yasu sat on the chair beside Leon.

"I don't think you'll like it though." Yasu said.

"Why?" Mai asked.

Yasu shrugged. "A feeling, I guess."

"Quit stalling," Naru stated. Yasu cleared his throat and started.

"20 years ago, a man owned this building and used it as an orphanage. The funny thing is, once a kid comes, they don't come back out." Yasu paused, letting it sink in. "Some people who pass by at night claim to hear sounds like screaming or crying, but they ignored it. The man who owned the orphanage, Robert Williams, had a child who stayed at the orphanage to 'play'." Mai stiffened.

"Was her name Lisa?" Mai asked. Yasu nodded in surprise.

"Yeah. She was around six at that time. Her mother had passed away when she was three, so she was left with her father." Yasu explained. "Now, here's what caught my eye, Robert Williams was a former scientist at America. He was fired for killing people and dissecting them for experimental uses."

"That's sick. . ." Krimson muttered. Everyone agreed with that statement.

Yasu continued, unfazed by this information. "He moved here to start anew with his daughter, but his sanity was spent by the time they got here. He gathered his assistants with him and opened up a fake orphanage to use the children as their test subjects. To determine who they dissect, they divided them into three groups. Whoever loses the game the groups are fixed with will be the subject. Ring Around the Rosie, London Bridge, Jack and Jill - those are their games."

"Did anything happen?" Mai asked. All eyes were fixed on her. Usually, she'd keep quiet while Yasu explains.

"Um, yeah. Here's where it gets bad. Sometime 15 years ago, Lisa lost a game. The man really didn''t care if it was his own daughter. When the children were undressing, Lisa slipped out the room and hid. Robert didn't really notice her slip out until it was her turn. When he realized this, he went on a rampage. He beat the children asking them where was Lisa. When Lisa's best friend, Jin, was killed, the girl revealed herself. She wasn't killed at the spot, but in the empty lot behind this building. At that time, the building there wasn't in construction yet until 2 years after Lisa died." Yasu paused to catch his breath. "He had beaten her until she couldn't move. He then brought her to the empty lot and hung her. To make it worse, he burned the wooden box he hung her in."

* * *

Mai wiped the sweat off her brow. After hearing Lisa's story again, she vomited. Hearing the story made her remember Lisa and her dream. She hated it. Being useless like that. . .

'_Mai it was the past, don't think hard on yourself_.' Gene comforted. Mai jumped at the sound of Gene's voice in her head.

'_Gene, since when did you get in my head?_' Mai asked.

'_Since from the start_.' Gene replied. Mai could imagine the goofy smile on his face. '_Anyway, as I was saying, Mai you shouldn't worry. You can't change the past. But you can decide to change an outcome._'

'_Never expected you to say something that deep._' Mai teased. She heard Gene huff.

'_At least give me some spotlight Mai._' Gene said. '_Anyway, comforting done, I'm out!_' With that, Gene left Mai's thoughts.

Mai walked out the bathroom and went to base. Everyone turned their heads to her, minus Naru and Lin. Leon gestured for her to take a seat which she gladly took.

"Now that Mai's here we'll pick out everyone's rooms." Krimson cheered. "You guys will draw numbers from here." The blue haired boy took a tissue box from the table that has already been set.

"Here is how the draw will go, boys first then girls." Leon explained. Krimson stood from his seat and walked to Lin first, then Yasu, then John, then Naru. Then he proceeded to the girls.

"Open the paper." Krimson instructed. "Then the boys will say their number. Girls with the said number will approach them."

"I guess I'll Start first." John unfolded his paper. "191." Masako raised her hand then walked to John.

"194." Both Lin and Yasu said. Well, it was expected. Yasu didn't have a partner while Lin doesn't have Madoka at the moment.

"193." Naru muttered. Mai couldn't believe. Her hear was jumping for joy and she did't know what to say. She walked to Naru's side, heart still pounding.

"Now that we know each other's room, we'll go ahead and set-up your rooms." Leon left the room, Krimson behind her.

"Um, Krimson quick question." Yasu spoke up. Krimson stopped in his tracks and looked at the boy. "Where are Ayako and Monk gonna room at?"

"Hm? Since they weren't here when we drew numbers, they'll automatically get room 192, whether they like it or not." Krimson replied. With that, the boy left the room.

* * *

_This place is pretty cool_, Mai thought. She had permission from Naru to roam around the place for a bit while the rest did what they were instructed. At first, Naru had rejected saying that Mai would just cause trouble or get herself hurt. After he told her to just sleep and gather information. She begged until he gave in.

Mai eyed the painting beside her. It was a portrait of a girl. She was wearing a white lolita-like costume and holding a stuffed toy. She then remembered the legend of the White Lolita, and after reading that, she couldn't even throw her garbage out for a week. After a while, the lights began to flicker. _Not again,_Mai thought. _Why does this always happen to me?_ Mai didn't realize that she was looking at her shoes. She raised her head and looked at the painting once more. This time, the lolita was looking straight at her, eyes bloodshot red. Mai wanted to scream, but nothing came out when she opened her lips.

"Girl. . . Will. . . Help. . .?" the lolita asked. Mai didn't answer. She just stood there frozen. When Mai blinked, she saw that everything was back to normal. The lolita in the portrait held the same smile from before she moved.

Mai was broken out her thoughts when a scream filled the air.


End file.
